September Favorites & Empties + Antonym Cosmetics Giveaway

I have got a burning question: do you guys miss reading (or watching) my monthly favorites? I used to look forward to writing them, but then came a time when I didn’t have anything new to share other than my newest AIP-friendly/pegan recipes. This month, however (the craziest September of my entire life–I had to quickly learn all about hurricanes), I tried quite a few new things and finished others. I am also going to gift one of you with an unexpected makeup favorite I picked.

New and Noteworthy

Antonym Cheek Crush*. The first time I applied this on my cheeks, I was not feeling it. I looked in the mirror and thought that it had too much of a cool-toned hue for my skin tone. I also felt like it was too much for a daylight look–too much sheen, too much silver. But, apparently, I was wrong–I have never received so many skin compliments as during that day. Even from people who have never complimented me on anything, which obviously sealed the deal for me.

I use it like a blush & highlighter at the same time, keeping a very light hand. It looks pretty powdery in the pan, but on the skin it does not translate as dry/powdery-looking, and it does not emphasize the texture of the skin in an un-flattering way (some highlighters make average-sized pores look enormous). Overall, a nice powder highlighting option for people who don’t love cream textures, but can we have a couple more shades of this beauty, Antonym? Maybe a rose-gold? It’s available at Antonym (here).

Vapour Organic Beauty AER Deodorant*. After testing this deodorant for a few weeks, I can see why it took them a few years to formulate it. It’s really, really good. (Side question: have any of you been using natural deodorant since before the original Soapwalla was launched? I believe that that was the time when we officially stopped stinking, right?! We’ve come a long way, guys).

AER is super creamy (it actually has a gel-to-powder consistency), but it comes in a twist-up tube with holes that allows the product to come out evenly, with no unnecessary waste (see photo below). I have no complaints, it works great for me, but I have to note that it contains baking soda. I use it on freshly-shaved armpits on a daily basis, but I am also not very sensitive to baking soda (just a bit), so I am not the best person to do the sensitivity test. The scent I have been trying is Lavender Myrrh, which is the perfect scent for people who like clean, but not powdery scents. It’s super-effective and I am definitely ordering more for both my husband and myself. Currently available only at Credo here.

Odacité Green Ceremony Cleanser*. I call it the matcha cleanser, because this powder-to-foam cleanser smells just like a sweet matcha latte. It’s a bright green powder, but as you add a few droplets of water it transforms into a foamy cream that glides over the skin and gives you enough time to massage before starting to dry out.

The very fact the it was labeled as “foaming” cleanser scared me at first (foaming cleansers are typically drying and irritating), but as I looked into the baby foam ingredient, I discovered that it is a truly gentle type of cleansing agent made from coconut. So I went from using it once a week to using it every day (the label says to use it three-four times a week, but I have had no issues with daily use). It rinses off clear and leaves the skin feeling soft, balanced and refreshed, as a cleanser should. Available here.

John Masters Organics Rose & Apricot Hair Milk. I will have a more in depth talk about my frizz-taming challenge, and all the products I have been testing. This was the first product I picked up after it was highly recommended to me by several people in my Instagram DMs, and it did not disappoint. It’s a leave-in conditioner/hair moisturizer/anti-frizz, smoothing cream that does not weigh fine hair down. I find it quite impressive how a product can add moisture and shine without making my hair look greasy, and I use even a bit more than the recommended amount. If your hair is struggling with lack of moisture and humidity is making it act like a thirsty mess, you should check this out. Available here.

Kosas Lipsticks. I don’t think I need to say too much about these lipsticks, and especially about Rosewater, which you might have seen me wearing almost every day on Instagram/Snapchat. Just watch this video and see why I like Kosas lipsticks so much. Available here.

Empties (To Be Repurchased)

Marie Véronique Barrier Restore Serum*. This wasn’t just a good face serum–it was a scrape every residual drop that may still be in the bottle type of serum. That perfect thin layer of hydration and moisture that makes my thirsty, morning skin feel balanced, and helps any makeup product glide on the skin beautifully. Available here.

Odacité Wild Carrot Serum Concentrate. This is not just another face oil; it is a highly concentrated cold-pressed seed oil that has photo-repairing and photo-protecting properties. It also provides the perfect amount of moisture that my skin feels comforted and protected, but never greasy and suffocated. I like to use this one at night, as my last skincare layer after the Soothing B3 Serum.

Henné Lip Exfoliator. I am not much of a DIY person, but before I tried this lip exfoliator I did believe in homemade brown sugar lip scrubs. Then I started using this lip scrub almost daily, and I had a change of heart. The way that this product removes all the unwanted peeling skin from my lips without irritating them and leaving them feeling super-soft makes up for every buck spent on it. The berry one smells delicious. This was my second jar and I need a new one for Fall/Winter for sure. Available here.

MŪN Anarose Toner. If you’re not new around here you know I have gone through several bottles of this toner (I used it in both of my recent skincare videos, which you can watch here). It’s a simple formula that works great for my skin. It’s hydrating, soothing, balancing, refining. You can read my full-review here. If you are interested in trying, MŪN has given me a special discount code to share with you. It’s GenuineMunGlow, and it saves you 15% on any MUN order on their website (find it here).

Empties I May Not Repurchase

Innersense Color Awakening Shampoo. I liked this shampoo so much that I bought a family-size, giant bottle with the attachable pump. I still like it, but half way through the bottle I started feeling like my hair needed something a bit more moisturizing. I love that it does not cause any scalp build up, and leaves my hair feeling clean from roots to ends, but I am ready to try something new. Maybe I’ll just try something else and then go back to it, I don’t know yet. Read my full-review of the Innersense hair line here.

Essential Oxygen Organic Brushing Rinse. I have gone through several bottles of this, and I am actually very upset that the formula was recently changed (WHY?!). This is a hydrogen peroxide-based mouthwash that helps to freshen the mouth, kill nasties, and brighten the teeth. I am not sure if I will repurchase only because my most recent bottle contained a new formula, and I did not like it as much as the previous ones. So sad. Available here.

Onto the giveaway, I am gifting one of you with the Antonym Cheek Crush (the one in the photo below). Head over to my Instagram page to find all the details and enter in this post.

*gifted samples




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